April 2011 Fukushima earthquake

Fukushima Hamadōri earthquake
April 2011 Fukushima earthquake is located in Fukushima Prefecture
April 2011 Fukushima earthquake
UTC time2011-04-11 08:16:12
ISC event16416735
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date11 April 2011
Local time17:16 JST
Magnitude6.6 Mw[1]
Depth13 km (8 mi)
Epicenter37°00′04″N 140°24′04″E / 37.001°N 140.401°E / 37.001; 140.401[1]
TypeDip-slip
Areas affectedJapan
Max. intensityMMI VIII (Severe)

JMA 6−
Peak acceleration2.11 g
2071.7 Gal
TsunamiNo
LandslidesYes
Casualties4 dead, 10 injured

A potent magnitude 6.6 Mw intraplate aftershock occurred at 17:16 JST (08:16 UTC) on 11 April, in the Hamadōri region of Fukushima, Japan. With a shallow focus of 13 km (8.1 mi), the earthquake was centred inland about 36 km (22 mi) west of Iwaki, causing widespread strong to locally severe shaking. It was one of many aftershocks to follow the 11 March Tōhoku earthquake, and the strongest to have its epicentre located inland.

The earthquake occurred as a result of normal faulting to the west of Iwaki, and triggered numerous landslides across adjacent mountainous areas. A few fires broke out, and 220,000 households lost electricity. Officials issued localised tsunami alerts, though no significant waves were generated. The earthquake caused little structural damage, but killed four people and injured ten others. The strong ground movements triggered the reactivation of a nearby geological fault, prompting researchers to conduct extensive surveys in the region.

  1. ^ a b "M6.6 - eastern Honshu, Japan (BETA) 2011-04-11 08:16:12 UTC". earthquake.usgs.gov. USGS. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 2014-06-07.